Welding applications which require large quantities of welding wire necessitate welding wire packages which contain large quantities of a continuous welding wire. As a result, large welding wire packages have been created for these applications which allow for a significant amount of welding run time before the operation must be shut down to swap the used package for a new package of welding wire. This is particularly important for automated or semi-automated welding operations.
Bulk packaging of welding wire is gaining popularity in both automated and semi-automated welding applications due to the reduced down time necessary to change and restring a new package of welding wire. Further, it is important to have reliable wire payout or dispensing from the welding wire package without wire tangling or wire flip/wander. Each tangle can potentially shut down an entire manufacturing line and reduces production yield. In this respect, in order to work in connection with the wire feeder of the welder, the welding wire must be dispensed in a non-twisted, non-distorted and non-canted condition which produces a more uniform weld without human attention.
Drum or box wire packages have been developed which protect the welding wire from the manufacturing environment and which can be disposed of at a lesser cost. The welding wire is coiled, looped, or spun into the drum or box package in a loosely wound wire stack or coil consisting of many convolutions of wire which are often not as structurally stable as the wire convolutions of other wire packages, a reeled wire for example. In addition, twisting that originates from the wire feeder can transmit to the bulk wire package and/or restrictions in the feed path prevent natural unwinding of the wire from the box, both may increase tangling. Therefore, it is important to control the wire within the package in addition to the payout of the wire from the package in order to reduce twisting, tangling or canting of the welding wire. This condition is worsened with larger welding wire packages which are preferred in automated or semi-automated welding operations. Furthermore, abuse during shipping and handling of the soft drum or box container often disrupts the uniform spacing or stacking of each convolution in the wire stack, increasing tangling potential.
In view of the foregoing problems and shortcomings of removal or payout of welding wire from bulk welding wire containers, the present application describes bulk wire dampers to overcome these shortcomings.